Question

Backup very SLOW in Linux using CommVault

Asked by: atvrocks

I have a Dell 2850 running CentOS 3.9 (a flavor or RH Linux). I am running a SCSI PowerVault 124T - LTO-3 backup system on a different Dell Server
All the connections are via a Gb switch and the eth. cards a re set to 1000/Full Duplex
So from the Linux Server via the switch to the backup server via SCSI to the tape drive.
I am backing up 6 Servers - all the Windows servers perform exceptionally (very fast) - now when I'm going to Linux - It takes forever.
Monitoring the switch port via Solarwinds monitoring, shows over 150mb/s in the first 15 min of the backup job - to drop to a sustained rate of 20-25 mb/s for the next 18 hours or so.
In the other side - this makes no sense because what I back up is about 250GB worth of data.

From the backup server to the Linux box - I can copy files at a rate of 10 Mb/s.
Attached is a graph of the entire backup process seen at the switch port
Appreciate any help in this matter.

Thank you.

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Asked On
2009-04-24 at 12:27:38ID24353707
Tags

CommVault

,

Galaxy

,

CentOS

,

Linux

Topics

CommVault

,

Linux Administration

,

Linux Networking

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
13

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Answers

 

by: squifyPosted on 2009-04-26 at 23:18:18ID: 24239212

Hi,

I would try and set the NIC's on the client, backup server, switch to Auto Negotiate. The client's NIC will not transmit data until it can negotiate transfer at 1000MB. By changing them all to Auto Negotiate you will get data transferring regardless of the negotiated speed.

Also look at the type of data you are coping. If all the files are many small files and are at varying path depths you will get slower backup speeds. If you have a few large files you will get good speeds. You also have issues if you only have one client running at 10MB/s transferring to a LTO3 tape library that must be run at 80MB/s. If the tape library does not get data at that rate consistently it will think the job has finished and rewind the tape. This is called shoe-shining and will ruin your tapes and drives in a matter of months.

Let me know how changing the network speed helps.

 

by: atvrocksPosted on 2009-04-27 at 08:13:50ID: 24242596

The current network setup is:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Settings for eth2:
        Supported ports: [ TP ]
        Supported link modes:   10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
                                1000baseT/Full
        Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
        Advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
                                1000baseT/Full
        Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
        Speed: 1000Mb/s
        Duplex: Full
        Port: Twisted Pair
        PHYAD: 0
        Transceiver: internal
        Auto-negotiation: on
        Supports Wake-on: umbg
        Wake-on: d
        Current message level: 0x00000007 (7)
        Link detected: yes
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The mii-tool - known to show the wrong speed on CentOS, shows the following:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
eth2: negotiated 100baseTx-FD flow-control, link ok
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The speed on the switch port is set for 1000/Full - Autonegotiation enabled

What about the "flow-control"  - do I need that?

In this specific Linux system I do backup a lot of inages - all the same size - small files. I have yet to destroy a tape - this is been running for a while now.

Thank you


 

by: squifyPosted on 2009-04-28 at 01:28:20ID: 24248605

Does the linux server have it's mounts spread across multiple partitions/LUNs? If so then i would up the readers used on the properties of the default subclient to equal the number of LUNs presented to the server. You can also increase the number of streams going to a storage policy so that multiple clients can backup at once. You might also want to look at multiplexing the data by a factor of 2 initially.

I would also setup perfmon on the MediaAgent to measure disk read/write times, network bandwidth, and CPU load to check that there are enough resources on the MediaAgent to cope with your backups. You can also look at using Synthetic backups for the linux client so that your backup window will be reduced during full backups.

Hope these suggestions help.

 

by: atvrocksPosted on 2009-04-28 at 13:33:41ID: 24254829

The Linux server is Stand Alone - no external storage
I did try to set the NIC adn the switchport to 1000/full/no auto .... without any change in performance. It is back to autonegotiation.
I was looking at multiplexing and for that I need a license from CommVault. I did contact them already - I have to see what the price is ....
I took the liberty and ran a sniffer (tethernet) and I found out that when I run teh backup I get this:
----------------------
0.003498 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=33580 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003505 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=35040 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003513 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=36500 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003519 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=37960 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003523 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=39420 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003527 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=40880 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003532 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=42340 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003536 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=43800 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003541 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=45260 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003567 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=46720 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.003859 192.168.0.201 -> 192.168.0.204 TCP 2712 > 40451 [ACK] Seq=0 Ack=4380 Win=65535 Len=0
  0.023360 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP [TCP Previous segment lost] 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=63144 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043345 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP [TCP Previous segment lost] 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=188096 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043352 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=189556 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043358 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=191016 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043363 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=192476 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043368 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=193936 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043372 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=195396 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043377 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=196856 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043381 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=198316 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043385 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=199776 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043390 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=201236 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043394 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=202696 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043398 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=204156 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043410 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=205616 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043414 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=207076 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043418 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=208536 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043422 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=209996 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043427 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=211456 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043432 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=212916 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043436 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=214376 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043442 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=215836 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043446 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=217296 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
  0.043451 192.168.0.204 -> 192.168.0.201 TCP 40451 > 2712 [ACK] Seq=218756 Ack=0 Win=5840 [TCP CHECKSUM INCORRECT] Len=1460
------------------------------------------

And I get a lot of them. .201 is the backup server - .204 is the Linux server
Again - I get this ONLY when the backup is running.

Thank you

 

by: atvrocksPosted on 2009-05-04 at 07:52:55ID: 24295715

Anyone - why would I get all these checksum errors ?

 

by: atvrocksPosted on 2009-06-02 at 14:28:45ID: 24531752

been a while ... no expert comments ?

 

by: JIEXAPosted on 2009-06-03 at 03:15:43ID: 24534815

Well, I would start not from the NIC/network tricks, but from the Linux machine configuration.
When you copy all the files that are wished (~250GB, you've said) to /dev/null or to another directory, or creating a tar file, what is the data rate?
What is on the Linux machine /var/log/messages? Probably, some filesystems might be corrupted. Or too fragmented.

The TCP checksum errors are currently ignored by me. It might be because someone talks raw packets, or NIC driver is wrong, or MTU of source/destination/hub mismatch (or hub/switch bug on packets re-parsing). Try to set up the same MTU for all 3 components...

 

by: JIEXAPosted on 2009-06-03 at 03:17:11ID: 24534824

You might wish also to play with hdparm on the Linux machine to check the DMA/UDMA/PIO modes and transfer/read rates.

 

by: atvrocksPosted on 2009-06-19 at 10:06:00ID: 24668121

hdparm works only on SATA/ATA HDD's .... not on Raid 5

 

by: NE-GrousePosted on 2009-06-23 at 19:30:20ID: 24697830

eth2: negotiated 100baseTx-FD flow-control, link ok
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The speed on the switch port is set for 1000/Full - Autonegotiation enabled

I've seen this a lot, on both Win & Linux.  If you can't set the NIC to 1000/Full and turn off AutoNeg.  You may want to consider a different brand of NIC.  You can also try nailing the switch port 1000/Full.



 

by: atvrocksPosted on 2009-06-26 at 14:03:06ID: 24724689

That didn't change anything .... considering the fact that there are thousands of small files - do you think that multiplexing will solve the problem?

In order to do that I have to upgrade the software -

 

by: JIEXAPosted on 2009-09-10 at 06:34:25ID: 25299965

1000Mbps connection is very fragile. Try to replace cables to better ones, and to shorter ones. I have no currently another ideas.

 

by: atvrocksPosted on 2009-10-21 at 12:38:29ID: 31574379

Upgrading the backup software fixed the problem ..... MULTIPLEXING

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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